


The Choices We Make

by Therapeutic_Steter



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Peter Hale, Canon Rewrite, Gen, M/M, Morally Ambiguous Stiles Stilinski, Pre-Slash, Stiles and Scott Are Not Friends, Stiles is Peter's Pack, season one rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 01:57:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13649046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Therapeutic_Steter/pseuds/Therapeutic_Steter
Summary: “You’re quite the clever one, aren’t you?” Peter mused, voice like honey.“I like to think so."“What’s your name?”“Stiles.”Peter smiled slowly, looking like a cat that just caught the canary. “Well hello, Stiles,” he purred, eyes flashing a bloody red.Stiles grinned victoriously. Viciously.The hunt was on.





	The Choices We Make

**Author's Note:**

> I posted a snippet of this one on my [tumblr](https://therapeutic-steter.tumblr.com/) a while back and I finally had a chance to finish it up, so this is the complete fic. Hope you enjoy!

Stiles wasn’t stupid. He had ADHD which led to trouble focusing and he might not be the most popular person, but he was far from stupid.

He scarfed down his lunch quickly, ignoring the other teens milling around him as he read on his phone. He’d finish his food quickly so he could leave and go to the library, as usual.

He glanced a few tables down to nonchalantly study the new popular table. Scott McCall was the newest edition, brought up the social ladder by his Disney princess of a girlfriend, Allison Argent. Once upon a time, Scott and he had been inseparable, but then middle school had happened and they’d drifted apart. Stiles missed having a partner in crime—or someone to eat lunch with, hang out with, text, have inside jokes with, or just to call a friend—but he was living. Sure, he got lonely sometimes, but this too shall pass and all of that.

He stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth and quickly cleared his table, heading for the trashcan. He met Boyd’s eyes and gave him a nod, from one loner to another. The other boy rolled his eyes but nodded back all the same. Stiles smirked, social connection for the day completed, and slipped out the cafeteria to spend the rest of his time researching.

See, since he wasn’t stupid, he knew something was going on. There had been a sudden increase in animal attacks lately and the most recent one had been at a video store in the middle of town. Not exactly your typical mountain lion hunting ground. Plus, he’d hacked into the CCTV feed from the parking lot and whatever had been the cause of the video store’s manager’s untimely demise was definitely _not_ a mountain lion.

Stiles frowned, tapping his pen on his notepad in thought. The school’s goddess Lydia and resident douche-bag Jackson had been there, so the rumor mill said, but both were refusing to talk. This was the third death in the past month though and, for Beacon Hills, that was a lot. Like, an insane amount. His dad was barely even home anymore thanks to the whole department being mobilized to try and catch a damn mountain lion. It just didn’t add up though.

The first death had been Laura Hale, torn clean in half on the Preserve. Her brother, Derek, had been brought in for questioning but he’d been cleared and released.

Next was a bus driver, attacked on his bus and then died later in the hospital from his wounds. Messy all around. Again, not the normal hunting grounds of a mountain lion.

And now the video store manager. It all just didn’t connect.

“We’ve got to do something, the Alpha’s getting braver.”

Stiles stiffened, ears perking as he listened to the students milling past his spot around the corner. Here he could hear conversations in front of the stairwell easily without being seen.

_Alpha?_

“Do you have any ideas on who it is?” a female voice asked. Both vaguely familiar.

“Not yet. Derek’s still looking into it, but he said I may be the only one who can find them since they turned me.”

 _Derek? Turned? What?_ Stiles frowned, trying to keep his breathing controlled to avoid detection.

“Well until we know who it is we can’t do much,” the girl complained. God, even her complaining voice sounded sweet. What kind of girl— _Allison!_

Stiles’ eyes widened as he stared at the wall in front of him. What was even…

“We’ve got to hurry though. We don’t know when they’ll strike again but we’ve got to stop them from killing people.” _Scott! That was totally Scott!_

The bell rang then, interrupting the conversation and making them hurry towards class. Stiles got up at a more sedate pace, mind whirling.

 _An Alpha turned Scott then…Turned him into what? And an Alpha what? And what was that about stopping someone from killing people?_ Stiles bit his lip in thought, slipping into Finstock’s class just before the bell and sliding into his desk in the back. His eyes automatically fell onto where Allison and Scott were sitting beside each other and alternating between giving each other goo-goo eyes and whispering conspiratorially. Clearly, he had his work cut out for him.

…

Stiles scanned the files in front of him, all copies he’d illegally gained from his dad’s office. He just couldn’t find the connection, couldn’t see what the murders had in common other than they were all gruesome.

_There’s something I’m missing…_

Frowning, he turned to his computer, logging into his dad’s secure server and pulling up all the information on Derek Hale.

_Nothing. Clean rap sheet. Really the only thing notable is the fire his family died in years ago…_

Stiles paused. _The fire…_ He pulled up the Hale fire then, scanning the documents.

 _There!_ The second victim, he was the inspector. Stiles read through the copy of his report. He’d first claimed potential arson before changing his report and deeming it an electrical fire, no one at fault. He went further down, stopping when he spotted the third victim mentioned as the insurance agent who’d filed the claim without questioning the change in report.

 _With Laura being the first victim, that ties everyone back to the Hale fire somehow…_ Stiles mused. _Doesn’t answer what Allison and Scott meant by ‘Alpha’ or being ‘turned’ though._

He clicked back to the copy of the video from the CCTV feed that he’d made, re-watching the footage. One picture shows a beast on all fours, monstrous in its own right, and then in the next frame taken not three seconds later it’s clearly on two legs. No animal moves like that, it just wasn’t natural.

Stiles snorted. _More like_ super _natural_ …he scoffed, before pausing. _No way..._ He looked through the frames again, eyes narrowed.

 _Alpha…turned…animal attacks…didn’t dad say something about wolf hairs? Even though there are no wolves in California…_ Stiles tilted his head to the side, eyes on the two frames of the beast. _Not a wolf…but a werewolf?_

He shook his head. _Okay, no, no way. That’s just insane. There’s no way…_ He bit his lip uncertainly. _But if there was…a werewolf could turn someone else, make murders look like animal attacks, walk on all fours and then two feet…an Alpha…_

He pulled up Google, typing in ‘Alpha Werewolf.’

_“…some mythologies believe an Alpha Werewolf are the only werewolves capable of turning humans into werewolves…”_

_“…Alphas are the leaders of the Pack…”_

_“…Alphas can be bigger, can shift into full wolves, and can be much more violent if they’re not tempered by a large pack…”_

Stiles pulled away from his desk, humming thoughtfully. He wasn’t necessarily sure about all this yet, but werewolves could explain a lot, including the odd conversation he’d overheard today. He glanced at the open tab that held all the information on the Hale fire without clicking on it. There was something fishy about it, how the inspector’s report changed, how the agent seemed to cover it up. Still, that didn’t explain why Laura had been killed. Also, even if he ignored Laura’s death, twice was only a coincidence. He’d need a third murder to claim a true pattern.

Stiles rolled his eyes, moving to gather up the files and put them away. _Werewolves…_ He shook his head, checking the time as nearing one-thirty and going to get ready for bed.

…

 _Holy shit, it’s totally werewolves,_ Stiles thought, eyes wide as he took in the new police report files on the two more bodies that had been found near the woods. Burned to death in fires that they let get out of control because they were drunk and high off their asses. _How ironic_. _Known arsonists who were in town at the time of the Hale fire._

 _Someone is going after the ones who caused the fire and who helped cover it up,_ he thought. _And Scott and Allison are totally involved with all of this, somehow._ He could remember their shifty attitudes all day. They’d both been distracted during classes, whispering together and Scott had been constantly checking his phone.

 _Probably waiting to hear from Derek, if they’re working with him_ , Stiles mused. _Which means Derek isn’t the Alpha, but is also probably werewolf. Along with Scott. So the Alpha must be someone who’d want revenge for the fire and could avoid detection easily. Someone with an alibi…_

He was looking through the Hale fire articles online during lunch, he paused when there was a mention of another survivor. _Peter Hale, left in a coma in the long-term care ward at the hospital…wouldn’t being a werewolf include some kind of supernatural healing?_

Stiles hummed thoughtfully to himself, biting at his pen cap. _Possibly. There’s a lot of mention of faster healing in lore. Most people don’t survive fourth degree burns like he had but he did, which is miraculous in its own. If whoever caused the fire knew they were werewolves, they could’ve put something in it to slow their healing down and that would explain why it’s taken him years to start the revenge spree._

He frowned. _That could also explain Laura. He finally wakes up after years of unimaginable pain, wants revenge, and she tried to stop him. Not what I would call an excusable murder, but that is an explanation._

He sighed, glancing up as the final bell rang. _I’m totally about to do something stupid. This is when having a friend who’d tell me how stupid my plans are would come in handy,_ he thought, throwing his book bag over his shoulder and heading for his jeep. He glanced over at where Scott was getting on his bike and talking to Allison and wondered if they’d put it together like he had yet. Or maybe they’d already exhausted this route. Who knew? Stiles certainly wasn’t going to ask them.

…

Stiles was careful walking into the hospital, narrowing avoiding nurses and doctors who were stalking the halls. He found the room he was looking for easily, slipping through the crack in the door and closing it behind him. He hoped no one came to check up on Peter soon.

He turned then, studying the room curiously before his eyes landed on the sole occupant. Peter was sitting in a wheelchair staring blankly out the window. He frowned, stepping further into the room and looking at glazed over blue eyes intensely.

“Okay, I’m probably going to end up being the town crazy, but feel free to let me know if I’m right,” he spoke to the room, careful to not be too loud but also making it clear that he was talking to the other. He took in a steadying breath, palms sweaty and heart fluttering anxiously. “You…you’re a werewolf, right? An Alpha?”

Peter gave no outward sign that he had heard him, but Stiles could’ve sworn that all the air in the room was suddenly sucked up. He felt like a rabbit under the gaze of a predator who was just waiting to pounce.

“See, I’m the Sheriff’s kid. And I’m not supposed to go through his files, but I totally do. And little ol’ town like ours doesn’t have a lot of murders so the sudden increase in such a crime takes a lot of my dad’s time and he doesn’t police me quite as much as he usually does.”

Peter still wasn’t moving, wasn’t biting, but that was okay. Stiles had a lot more to say.

“And anyways, an animal attack on a bus is weird enough, but then at a video store in the middle of town? Even stranger,” he mused. “Plus, you were sloppy with that one. There was a video camera overlooking the parking lot and you were caught on two frames. One on all fours, the other on two legs. Still, that didn’t answer everything. Not until I overheard a couple of my classmates talking. Saying he’d been ‘turned’ by the ‘Alpha’ but that Derek didn’t know who it was.” He bit his lip, really getting into his explanation now. He was pacing, hands gesticulating with his words.

“Derek of course being Derek Hale, who my dad had brought into questioning for the death of Laura Hale but had eventually cleared him. Derek Hale who hasn’t been in town since he and his sister left after the Hale fire. The Hale fire that put you in a coma and killed your whole family, which I’m sure you’re pretty pissed about. Especially,” he paused, turning to look straight at Peter now. “Especially,” he continued, quieter now, “considering quite a few people went to great lengths to cover up the fire as faulty wiring when it originally looked like a case of arson. People who have since been the targets of these local ‘animal attacks’,” he used the air quotes, never looking away from Peter’s form, who still had no moved.

“And it’s not like I could turn you in for murder, since you know, _werewolves_ , but I wouldn’t anyways,” Stiles added after a few minutes of silence. His voice hardened. “I’d tear anyone apart if they’d hurt my dad, let alone killed him. I’m the last person who should be judging you for wanting revenge. It doesn’t make them come back, but it damn sure feels good to know they aren’t alive and well, huh? Why would they deserve happiness and families when they took yours?”

Stiles was quiet for a long minute, just watching the scarred man. There wasn’t any movement for a long time, so long that he was beginning to doubt himself. Maybe he had gone crazy, maybe he’d gotten worked up for nothing. He frowned, glancing down to the man’s hands. He stiffened though when he saw the man’s finger twitch.

“I could help, you know,” Stiles murmured, glancing back up at his eyes. “I’ve got a lot of connections and I’m smart. Not that you’re not smart, you obviously are. But you’re getting sloppy because you’re emotionally involved. I’m not.”

When Peter still didn’t respond, Stiles sighed, admitting defeat. Even if he wasn’t wrong, which he was still sure he was right, it was clear Peter didn’t want his help. He turned to the door, figuring he’d just ignore the rest of the ‘animal attacks’ and just try to keep his dad from getting  himself killed in the process.

“Why would you want to help me?”

Stiles froze, eyes widening as every muscle in his body stiffened. He was almost too afraid to turn around, the air near tangible as the predator behind him spoke. He forced himself to turn, meeting intense blue eyes that were far from blank. They focused on him like lasers and refused to release him.

“I told you. I’d tear anyone apart if they hurt my dad,” he responded nervously, licking his lips. “If someone intentionally burned your family alive, they deserve to die in the most painful way possible. I respect the law, but I’m also aware that it has a lot of shortcomings, and I doubt there’s much a werewolf can do to get justice in the typical sense of the word.”

Peter hummed, eyes never wavering from Stiles’. “You’re quite the clever one, aren’t you?” he mused, voice like honey.

“I like to think so,” Stiles admitted.

“What’s your name?”

“Stiles.”

Peter smiled slowly, looking like a cat that just caught the canary. “Well hello, Stiles,” he purred, eyes flashing a bloody red. Stiles grinned victoriously. Viciously.

The hunt was on.

…

“I think my dad is hiding something,” Allison said, her and Scott speaking in not-so hushed whispers in the library. Stiles was eavesdropping from two rows away, trying to make as little sound as possible to keep from earning Scott’s focus as he casually flipped through a book like he was skimming. The boy seemed to lack the focus on his senses that Stiles would’ve expected though and so far he’d been successful in not being found out.

“What do you mean?” Scott asked.

“My aunt came into town last night and my dad said he went out to help her with a flat tire, but when I checked her car, there was broken glass in the door. I think something broke her window,” she said.

Stiles stiffened. Allison’s aunt. Allison _Argent’s_ aunt. That had to be Kate, which Peter had said was the mastermind behind the whole thing. He had to warn Peter that she’d showed up early, if the man didn’t already know.

Stiles bit his lip when Scott’s phone rang. A collection of shushes came from around them in the library, but Stiles tried to edge closer to hear at least one side of the conversation.

“Derek? What are you calling me for?” Scott asked, and Stiles could see Allison frown and lean closer through the books.

Scott frowned. “Dude, what do you mean you got shot? And what is wolfsbane?”

Stiles was barely breathing, trying to keep as quiet as possible.

“What does that have to do with me?”

Stiles wanted to roll his eyes. Scott had always seemed kind when they were kids but all this eavesdropping was showing the boy to be more self-absorbed than Stiles had thought.

 _“I’m going to die if I don’t get a bullet with the same wolfsbane, Scott._ ”

Derek’s voice was so loud, clearly yelling in aggravation at Scott’s continued lack of care.

“Fine. I’m going to the Argent’s tonight. I’ll see if I can find a bullet,” Scott said before hanging up on him. Stiles turned grabbing a couple books at random before walking away.

…

“Kate’s here early,” Stiles said as soon as the door was shut, walking into Peter’s room.

“I’m aware,” Peter said dryly. “Met her on her way into town.”

“So you were what broke her window,” Stiles said, grinning when Peter looked surprised.

“And how did you know about that?” Peter asked curiously.

Stiles shrugged. “I’m nosy. Kate’s niece is in my grade and I was listening in on her and Scott’s conversation earlier today.” He bit his lip. “I don’t think Allison knows about her family’s hunting history, but she does know Scott’s a werewolf. Also, I think Kate shot your nephew full of wolfsbane, if you want to try and help him with that.”

Peter growled. “Wonderful. I wish my dear nephew would just stay out of this mess if he isn’t going to help me.”

“So what’s wolfsbane do?” Stiles asked, sitting in the plastic chair at Peter’s bedside.

“It’s a poison that will slowly kill any wolf. Once it makes its way to your heart, you’re dead.”

“He was yelling at Scott to get another bullet with wolfsbane in it? Is that how to heal it?”

“You can burn the wolfsbane and put the ash in the wound, it’ll burn out any remnants of the wolfsbane from a wolf’s system,” Peter explained.

Stiles hummed, tapping his fingers. “Scott didn’t really sound that concerned, to be honest. Do you want me to try and get a bullet? It’d probably be easier for a human to sneak into the Argent home rather than a wolf, plus it might be good to have Derek on our side in the future. He’s already going to be a little cautious after the Laura thing but saving his life could win some you some points.”

Peter seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Why not check with Alan Deaton?” he asked.

“The vet?”

Peter nodded. “Alan was Talia’s emissary. He might not be practicing for any packs at the moment, but as a druid he’s likely to have a few supplies on hand. Wolfsbane is a popular ingredient in a lot of potions and poultices, so he might have some. Better than risk breaking into the _Argent’s_ house,” Peter said the name with a growl, spitting it like poison. Stiles didn’t blame him.

“Derek wouldn’t have already done that?” Stiles asked.

Peter shook his head. “Derek was too young when the fire happened. He wasn’t involved in any pack business. Besides that, Talia believed an emissary should stay separate from the pack, so the only ones who even knew who our emissary was were her, her husband, and myself as her enforcer.”

Stiles stood, pulling out his phone. “I’ll go check with him then. Derek made it sound like it was a dire.”

“Don’t tell him about me yet,” Peter ordered. “I’d rather wait on the big reveal, plus I’m not quite done setting everything up.”

Stiles shot him a look. “Uh, dude, you should really get on that. In case you haven’t noticed, Kate’s already knocking down our door and she doesn’t strike me as someone to wait for another to act first.”

Peter smirked, eyes flaring red. “Believe me, Stiles, I’m well aware of Kate Argent’s nature. Everything will go according to plan.”

Stiles shrugged, grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. “Your call, Alpha,” he said, grinning cheekily when Peter growled in response. “I’ll go save your nephew then. I’ll let you know how that goes.”

Peter rolled his eyes almost fondly, watching the boy leave. Truly, Stiles had been a gift. The boy was clever, vicious and loyal. He had been unfaltering in his support even with all the nitty gritty talk of murder. On top of all that though, Peter could feel a true pack bond settling within him for the first time in years. It helped anchor him to his humanity; he definitely felt less off-the-rails than he had even just a week ago. He felt like he could breathe, like he could wait for the right time. Like maybe this entire ordeal wouldn’t end with his death as he’d assumed.

…

Stiles knocked on the door, ignoring the ‘closed’ sign. He looked into the office through the glass, frowning. He checked under the rugs, over the doorway, and under the flower pots. He huffed, going to the back door and checking everything there. When he couldn’t find a spare key, he eyed the lock on the back door wonderingly, glancing around. He was just thinking about kicking the door in and trying to determine if he could get in, find the wolfsbane, and get out before his dad would show up when the door opened to reveal on Alan Deaton.

“I’m sorry. We’re closed,” he said, smiling serenely.

“Yeah, okay, but I kind of have an emergency,” Stiles said, watching the man. “Like, howls at the moon emergency,” he added.

Deaton’s eyes widened only fractionally and he gestured for Stiles to come in. Stiles walked through the cages, taking in the back room and pondering where would be the best place to hide wolfsbane.

“How can I help you?” Deaton asked.

“I need some wolfsbane,” Stiles said, deciding to not beat around the bush. “One of the Argents shot Derek Hale and he’s going to die if we don’t get it treated. Like, pronto,” he said.

Deaton was already walking to his shelves, nodding. “I see,” he said, looking through the dried herbs there before picking up and grabbing a small baggie. “When did it happen?”

“Last night, I think,” Stiles said. “Not sure about the timeline. He called earlier this afternoon and wasn’t doing so great.”

“And what are you to the Hales?” Deaton asked, holding the bag of dried wolfsbane but not yet offering it. He was watching Stiles as carefully as the boy was watching him.

“A friend,” Stiles said enigmatically.

Deaton quirked a brow. “That so?” he asked.

“Mmhmm,” Stiles hummed a positive, deliberately not expounding. Deaton watched him for a moment before eventually offering the bag of dried wolfsbane. Stiles took it as a success.

“Thanks, doc,” he said, nodding and moving for the door.

“Be careful, Mr. Stilinski,” Deaton called out behind him.

…

“Oh man, you should be glad I got here when I did,” Stiles said, walking into the old Hale house and spotting the drained looking man collapsed against the wall. “Come on; up you go,” Stiles said, wheezing as he tried to straighten him over from his slumped position. Derek’s head lolled and the man flopped out on the floor, unconscious. Stiles winced in sympathy when his head ‘thunk’ed heavily against the floor. “Sorry,” Stiles said, pulling the dried wolfsbane out and flicking his lighter, quickly burning the wolfsbane.

“I hope this is right,” Stiles said, before pushing the ash into the wound in Derek’s side.

Derek roared, eyes flaring up a bright blue as his back arched with pain. Stiles scrambled back away from any wild claws and watched as the black veins slowly faded away as the wolfsbane burned out of his system.

Derek panted in exertion, turning to focus on Stiles. His eyebrows furrowed angrily and Stiles wondered if now would be a good time to exit.

“Who are you?” Derek demanded, drawling himself up as best as he could while still sitting and looking pale.

“Stiles,” he answered automatically.

Derek didn’t looked pleased, eyebrows somehow deepening their scowl as he glared at him. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving your life. Obviously.” Stiles couldn’t help the snark, honestly a little miffed by the lack of gratitude. If Derek had been waiting for Scott to save the day, he’d be dead already. You’d think the guy would be a little more appreciative.

“ _Why_ ,” Derek rumbled and he hadn’t even put the necessary tone to make it a question. Stiles rolled his eyes, standing and moving to collect his things.

“Uh, because death is bad?” Stiles said. “Because I could and if you can save someone you should? I don’t know what you want to hear, dude.” Stiles slung his bag over his shoulder, turning to leave. “I’m sure I’ll see you later anyways,” he waved off. Derek growled behind him at being dismissed, but, as Stiles was betting, he was still too weak to follow him. Stiles quickly left the Hale house, driving away before Derek could yell out any more protests.

…

“Derek’s fine, if a little grumpy,” Stiles said. “Dr. Deaton gave me some wolfsbane.”

Peter hummed, tapping his claws against the side of the bedframe in aggravation. “I’ve taken care of all of Kate’s accomplices. All that’s left is the snake herself.”

“You’re just going after her, right?” Stiles asked, curiously. Peter focused on him, raising a brow in question. “I just mean, you’re not going on a man-hunt for all Argents, are you? Allison seems to be nice, and I don’t think she should have to live without her parents if they weren’t involved.”

Peter’s lip curled and he growled. “They killed my entire family and you want me to show them mercy?”

Stiles’ set his jaw stubbornly. “If they had something to do with it, of course not. But Allison would’ve been like twelve, dude. And you don’t even know if her parents had anything to do with it. I’m not saying to give mercy to Kate because fuck that witch, make her death as painful as possible, but I am saying you need to keep a cool head when it comes to the rest of them.”

Peter huffed angrily. “If they try to stop me, I won’t hesitate.”

“Restraint, Alpha. Restraint,” Stiles murmured placatingly.

Peter glowered. “ _Fine_.”

Stiles grinned, embracing the inner pack bond he’d started to feel a few days ago and enveloping it in his approval. Peter’s pout lessened a little and the man looked away, eyes flashing bright red.

“So what’s the plan?”

“I want to do it at the house,” Peter said, voice a deep rumble.

Stiles nodded. “How do we lure her there then?”

Peter smiled maliciously. “We let her think she’s in control and try to lure me there.”

“Makes sense,” Stiles said. “What about Derek? Dude isn’t exactly subtle. If I was looking for an Alpha, I would probably try to kidnap his supposed beta and lure him to me.”

“She’s probably guessed it’s me,” Peter acknowledged. “I’ll need to leave here sooner rather than later.”

“And in the end? How are you going to take back your life when this is over? Coma patients don’t just take off,” Stiles pointed out, with a frown. “And besides that, my dad is getting closer about this too. They’re looking for a woman with a specific pendant, which I’m sure we’ll find around Kate’s neck.”

“I don’t care about after, as long as she’s dead.”

“You can’t think like that,” Stiles denied vehemently. “When you think like that, she wins. We’ll get your revenge but then you prosper, you move on. _That’s_ how you really stick it to her.”

Peter was silent for a long moment, watching his hands. His claws came out and then retracted for a moment before he looked up at Stiles. Stiles thought he looked almost lost. “Then what do you suggest? For after?”

Stiles bit his lip, eyes narrowed in thought. “We pin the murders on Kate. The how or why doesn’t matter, speculation will do that. Maybe? It’s a work in progress, at least.”

“It’s an idea,” Peter agreed reluctantly. “I’m not sure how it’ll play out, but it is an idea.”

“You do rough-planning,” Stiles said, grinning. “I do improvisations.”

Peter snorted fondly, shoving Stiles away as the boy laughed obnoxiously. They both had to quiet down when Stiles’ chair clattered against the floor, looking towards the door cautiously.

“I’ll break out tonight then,” Peter informed him. “I’ll find you.”

Stiles frowned. “Tonight’s prom, but I wasn’t going anyways. I’ll be at my house. I’ll leave the window unlocked but please don’t let my neighbors see you.”

Peter chuckled. “I promise,” he assured him. Stiles grinned, standing to leave. Peter reached out to run a hand across his shoulder familiarly, scenting him. Stiles rolled his eyes but leaned closer, roughly brushing his hand across Peter’s hair and grinning cheekily at the disarray he left it in. Peter’s glowered, unimpressed.

“Be careful, Alpha,” Stiles said, pressing his forehead to Peter’s. Then he pulled away, slipping out the door and leaving the hospital without drawing the attention of any of the nurses.

Unbeknownst to Stiles, just as he pulled away from the hospital, Scott and Derek pulled in, determination in their gaze.

…

Stiles sighed in frustration, pacing his room as he waited for Peter. He jumped at every sound, looking to his window before cursing and turning to pace again.

“Calm down,” Peter said, slipping into the room. “Everything’s working.”

Stiles startled, glaring at him as his hold on his bat tightened. “You freaking scared me,” Stiles accused, moving forward and searching for any injuries. “You got out okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Peter waved off. “Now I’m pretty sure Kate’s taken Derek. We need to track them to make sure she took him to the house.”

Stiles nodded, moving to his computer. “I got Derek’s number from Scott’s phone. I can turn on the GPS on it if his password isn’t too complicated,” he said, typing. He paused, raising a brow when the GPS instantly came up. “Or if he’s one of those technology shunners who doesn’t even have a password. Seriously? Dude really needs to be saved from himself. Didn’t even use ‘1234’ or ‘password’ or anything.”

“Comment on my nephew’s technology uses later,” Peter said, rolling his eyes. “I know where that is. She’s taken him to the underground tunnels at the house.”

“Disturbing,” Stiles noted, frowning.

“Convenient,” Peter corrected, smiling with his fangs as his eyes flashed. “No one to hear her screaming for mercy.”

“Off to the creepy forest then,” Stiles said, grabbing his bat and red hoodie. They had a beta to save.

…

Stiles looked to the trees, heart thumping with nervousness as he slipped out of his jeep.

“It’s time,” Peter said, shifting. Stiles watched as he grew even larger, body growing furred and his form becoming even more wolf-like. Stiles almost couldn’t breathe as he finally stood in his full alpha-form. He was monstrous, standing almost four feet higher than Stiles with long limbs and wicked looking teeth and claws. Stiles gulped as those bright red eyes turned to him and Peter leaned closer, huffing warm air over his skin. Their pack bond thrummed with assurance and Stiles released a shaky breath, reaching out to carefully brush his fingers through the course fur around Peter’s ear. Peter rumbled comfortingly, nuzzling into Stiles’ hand, and Stiles smiled.

“Let’s go get that bitch,” Stiles said, grinning viciously. Peter threw back his head and howled to the moon. The sound reverberated through Stiles’ body and he could almost feel the pull of the moon himself, even as a human. Then they both took off into the forest for the Hale house.

As they got closer, Peter got more anxious, his rumbling growl an almost steady sound. Stiles kept up as best as he could, but he knew he was slowing the alpha down.

“Go,” Stiles finally said, gesturing forward. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Peter looked at him, eyes flickering from his normal blue back to red before he shot off towards the house. Stiles hoped he wouldn’t do anything stupid in the time it took him to catch up.

He was sadly disappointed whenever he stepped into the clearing, wondering just how this shit show had happened. Lydia and Jackson were standing to the side by Jackson’s car, holding some kind of bottles. Scott was at Peter’s feet, looking horrified. Chris had a gun trained of Peter, who was holding Kate Argent back against his chest, claws wrapped firmly around her neck in threat. Allison was a ways away, fear on her face. And Derek was limping out of the house, looking dead-tired.

“What the fuck,” he spoke, earning everyone’s attention. Peter roared, slashing his claws across Kate’s throat and killing her with a bloody spray. Then he howled into the night, the sound thrumming through the clearing as he sang his victory.

“No!” Stiles yelled as Chris pointed his gun at his chest. Stiles ran for Peter even as Lydia threw whatever was in the bottle towards Peter. Peter caught it and Scott yelled for Allison, throwing her bow to her. She glared at Peter, releasing an arrow and breaking the bottle. Stiles watched in horror as flames erupted as soon as the bottle burst, catching Peter’s arm on fire. “ _No!_ ” Stiles screamed, dodging Scott’s attempts to catch him and rushing to Peter’s side. Peter was roaring in fury, shaking his arm and actually fanning the flames.

“Stop, drop, and roll!” Stiles yelled infectively, waving his arms widely and trying to keep his fury and fear from passing along the bond. “Dude, you’re covered in fur! It’s flammable! Shift or something! I don’t have a fire extinguisher!”

Peter growled, shifting back to human and trying to shake the embers from his skin. Stiles patted at his skin, uncaring of the burns to his hands as he helped the man put himself out.

“Argent,” Peter growled, flashing red eyes as he looked back at Allison.

“Hale,” Chris said, earning his attention as he leveled the pistol to Peter’s chest.

“Stop!” Stiles demanded, stepping in front of his alpha and glaring at Chris.

“Stiles, you don’t know what you’re doing,” Scott spoke, trying to coax the boy away from Peter.

“No, _you_ don’t know what you’re doing,” Stiles accused. “I know exactly what I’m doing. Protecting my pack.”

Chris’ eyes narrowed. “You’re alpha just killed my sister. He broke the Code,” he said sternly.

“Your _sister_ burned his family alive,” Stiles said, jaw setting stubbornly. “Her life was forfeit, and the world’s a better place without her.”

Chris’ eyes widened. “Kate had nothing to do with the fire,” he denied.

“Kate had _everything_ to do with the fire,” Peter growled, eyes flashing angrily.

“Uncle Peter,” Derek called, edging closer.

“Isn’t that right, _Derek?_ ” Peter spat, eyes narrowing towards his nephew. Derek flinched back like he’d been struck, whining lowly in his throat.

“Peter,” Stiles said, stepping into the Alpha’s space fearlessly. “Restraint,” he murmured just as he had once before. Peter glared at him for a few moments before his shoulders slumped and his lip curled in disgust.

“ _Fine_ ,” he spat, just as irritated as he’d been that first time.

“Stiles, what is going on?” Allison asked, shaken and furious but determined to get her answers, even in the face of her fear.

“Kate burned the Hales alive,” Stiles said, looking at her solemnly. “I’m sorry you had to lose a family member, but that’s all I’m sorry about.”

Allison shook. “Dad? Is that true?”

Chris set his jaw, eyes narrowed in anger but his gun was lowered. “I…I don’t know.”

“Stiles, you can’t trust this guy! He’s crazy!” Scott said, glaring at Peter. “He tried to kill me! He tried to kill all of us!”

“I killed the people involved in my family’s murder,” Peter spat viciously. “Only thing I tried to do to you was have you join my pack. A mistake on my part, obviously.”

“You bit me!” Scott yelled. “I never asked for this!”

“Guys!” Stiles shouted, interrupting. “We don’t have time for this.”

In the silence, everyone could make out the sounds of sirens approaching.

“Stiles, get out of here,” Peter ordered.

“Allison, Scott:  you too,” Chris said.

“But what are you—” Stiles started, but Peter cut in.

“Don’t worry about what’ll be said, we’ll come up with something,” Peter assured him, frowning and looking out in the direction of the sirens. He glanced over at Stiles, eyes flashing red. “Go, Stiles.”

Stiles huffed, scowling, but he quickly flashed his throat, a concession to his Alpha. Then he scrambled through the trees, back to his jeep, with Scott and Allison loudly traipsing behind him.

“I’ve got to get home before my dad figures out I’ve been out,” Stiles said, slamming the door and cranking the engine. I’ll drop you off at Allison’s and you can do your own thing.”

“I can’t believe you’re working with him,” Scott said, shaking his head from the back seat. “He’s evil, dude. I know we don’t really hang out or anything, but you can trust me on this.”

 “Don’t talk about my Alpha,” Stiles growled, pulling out onto the road. “Actually, don’t talk to me at all.”

“But seriously, you don’t have a clue about what’s been going on or what Peter’s done! He’s—”

“I know _everything_ , Scott,” Stiles cut him off, voice like a knife. “In fact, I bet I know way more than you know or even think you know.”

“Did my aunt really burn them alive?” Allison spoke up, voice quiet as she stared blankly out the windshield. “That whole family?”

Stiles sighed exhaustedly. “Yeah.”

“Why…Why would she do that?” she asked, voice cracking.

“Kate was…Look, I’m trying to be delicate here,” Stiles stopped, breathing deeply, “but the lady was an insane psychopath. She killed them just because she didn’t like werewolves.”

“If they were like Peter, they probably deserved it,” Scott muttered from the backseat.

Stiles slammed on the brakes, putting the car in park in the middle of the street to turn around and glare at him. Allison grasped at her seatbelt in surprise, glad to have been wearing it. Scott fell into the floorboard, shouting in surprise and irritation.

“Seventeen people, Scott! _Seventeen_ people were in the house, and Peter was the only one that came out alive. A whole family:  mother, father, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts. They were all killed, regardless of if they were actually a werewolf. Half of them were regular humans! And the youngest? The youngest was eight months old! Kate may have called werewolves monsters, but the real monster was her and I’m glad Peter killed her and anyone who was sick enough to have helped her.” Stiles gritted his teeth, eyes almost blazing in his fury. Then he took in a deep breath, trying to contain himself.

“Sorry, Allison,” he said after a moment, turning back to sit properly in the driver’s seat, voice restrained. “I was trying not to bring all that up.”

Allison blinked, suddenly realizing she was crying. She reached up with shaky hands, wiping her tears and sniffling. “No, I…” she said. “She was never like that with me. But I guess she wouldn’t have been.”

Stiles put the jeep into drive, thankful that no one had came up behind them. It wasn’t long before he was stopping in front of the Argent’s house. The door opened and Mrs. Argent stood at the doorway, looking at him through the windshield with a steady glare. Stiles clutched at the steering wheel, knuckles white, as Allison and Scott climbed out without a word. Stiles pulled away with the same treatment, wishing the jeep could have handled it just so he could’ve revved the engine as he left.

His dad called the house just moments after Stiles had stepped through the door. He swiped it off the carrier.

“Hello?”

“Stiles,” his dad said, sounding tired. “It’s going to be a long night at the station for me, son, but I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Are you okay?” Stiles asked. He was sure Peter would protect his dad—they were pack and his Alpha knew what his dad meant to him—but he couldn’t help but worry.

“Yes, I’m fine,” his dad assured him. “Just wanted to make sure you were home. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too, son. Don’t stay up all night.”

“Night, dad,” Stiles chuckled lightly before hanging up.

He didn’t know what story Peter, Derek, and Mr. Argent had spun, but he hoped it was good enough. For now, he needed some sleep. He’d trust his Alpha to have taken care of things and would worry about everything else tomorrow.

…

“So Kate was cleaning up loose ends to cover up her murders and kidnapped you and Derek. Her torturing you shocked you from your coma. Then Chris found out and tracked her to the house and distracted her long enough for you to get free and kill her?” Stiles asked, raising a brow. “ _That’s_ what you guys came up with?”

“We had mere minutes before they showed up after you left; details weren’t important, only that we all agreed on something,” Peter said from his hospital bed. He rubbed at his scars, obviously exhausted but his eyes were bright with relief. “Chris certainly wasn’t going to take the blame for killing his sister and the less Derek is involved the better.”

“And no one has questioned why someone who was in a coma for years can walk and talk and _murder someone_ without any sort of issue?” Stiles said.

Peter chuckled. “It’s like you said; the how or why doesn’t matter, speculation takes case of that. After all, what victim knows the reasoning of their aggressor?”

Stiles snorted, shaking his head. “My dad will totally call bullshit, but he won’t guess werewolf, I’m sure.”

“Well, you’re in my pack and he’s your dad. It might not hurt to let him know that you run with wolves now.”

Stiles stared at him in surprise. “Seriously? You’d do that?”

Peter scoffed. “What part of being pack did you not understand?”

Stiles smiled softly. “I guess I’m not used to that. People doing stuff for me.”

“Well get used to it,” Peter said, smirking. Stiles chuckled affectionately.

“You’ll have to make me,” he teased, leaning forward in the chair. “So what’s the plan now? You fake your way through a quick physical therapy, get discharged, get your life back? What about Derek? And the Argents? And Scott?”

“Derek is going to be staying, for now. I don’t know entirely what he’ll do, but he did say he’d be around. Chris Argent said his family would be staying to keep an eye on me, but I will be doing the same. And I don’t particularly care what Scott does. He’s refused to become a part of my pack and seems to even be rejecting that he’s truly a werewolf. I wouldn’t have bitten him had I been in my right mind, but what’s done is done. He’s unable to accept that.”

“I’m sure there’s some resentment there,” Stiles agreed, sighing and rubbing his hands across the back of his head wearily. “I don’t know. Dude seems kind of naïve. He’s built up this idea of you being the villain and I don’t know if he’s willing to let himself see the world in shades of gray instead of the black and white he does see now.”

“He’ll turn into an omega if he continues down this path. I won’t let an omega remain and threaten my hold on my territory.”

“Maybe Derek can talk some sense into him. Or Dr. Deaton. Or hell, Allison’s been pretty sensible about this whole thing, maybe she can. I had a whole rant about how horrible her aunt was in front of her and she’s still willing to wave at me when we catch eyes at school. Honestly if anyone was going to be hung up over all of this, I figured it would be her, not Scott.”

Peter sighed, leaning back against the bed and closing his eyes. “It’s nothing of immediate concern; he’s managed to avoid killing anyone this long, surely he can last another few weeks at least.”

Stiles hummed in acknowledgment, watching Peter for a moment. “I should let you rest,” he decided, moving to stand. He reached out, brushing his hand down Peter’s arm, scenting him. “I need to get out of here before dad finds out I visited anyways. We should probably do that reveal sooner rather than later if we want to continue having pack meetings like this.”

Peter laughed lightly, eyes opening to look at his lone pack mate. He reached out on a whim, catching Stiles’ wrist and pulling his arm towards him. Stiles tilted his head curiously but let Peter do as he wished, stepping closer when Peter pulled Stiles’ arm up until he could scent his wrist.

“I didn’t ask before because too much was going on, but do you want the Bite?” Peter asked, words breathed across Stiles’ skin. The boy’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What?” Stiles said automatically.

“Do. You. Want. The. Bite?” Peter repeated slowly, nose brushing against the vulnerable skin of Stiles’ wrist. He took in a lungful of Stiles’ scent, pleased to see there wasn’t a hint of fear. He smirked, looking into Stiles’ eyes. If he’d made this offer before getting to know the boy, perhaps he would’ve made promises of power and popularity. But now he knew what his boy needed more than anything, and he knew he could provide it. After all, it was what he wanted too.

“We’ll be pack regardless, but this will be more tangible. A true pack bond is unlike anything I can describe. A bone-deep perception that you are connected to another, that you are never alone. Pack will never betray you, never abandon you. When you are hurt, pack helps you heal. When you are scared, pack will fight your fears for you. And when you are happy, pack will celebrate with you.” Peter hummed, red eyes flaring up as he spoke. “I won’t sugarcoat it though. There’s pain in pack too. When you lose a pack member, it’s like someone has cut off your limb. When you fight with another pack member, their anger is like knives from within. You cannot hide your stronger emotions. You will get frustrated at that lack of secrecy, of privacy. Pack is nosy and annoying and overbearing, but perfect and worth every minute of it. And it would take some time for you to learn control—and you already know about the dangers of hunters—but I know you would make a beautiful wolf. You already have the heart of one.”

Stiles was smiling by the time Peter had finished. The sunlight from the window caught Stiles’ eyes and made them look almost beta gold. His answer was easy, automatic, and Peter felt the thrum of acceptance even as his fangs pierced Stiles’ skin.

“ _Yes_.”


End file.
